Regional

AN Ennis woman accused of drugs and money laundering offences is to have her case heard in the circuit criminal court, writes Ronan Judge. Heather McNamara (38), with an address at 10 Childers Road, Cloughleigh, Ennis is accused of processing €5445 cash and a Rolex watch worth €17,500, alleged to be the proceeds of criminal conduct. Her case came before Ennis District Court and Ms McNamara was not present for the brief hearing. Her solicitor, Colum Doherty, told the court his client could not attend as she is caring for a baby. Sgt Louis Moloney told the court that the director of public prosecutions (DPP) has directed that the case against Ms McNamara is proceeding on indictment to the circuit criminal court. Judge Mary Larkin granted legal aid following an application from Mr Doherty. Judge Larkin remanded Ms McNamara on bail to appear again in court on December 15 for service of the book of evidence. In total, Ms McNamara …

THE creator of the controversial Púca statue has expressed concerns that a Council online survey over the artwork “will give the naysayers an effective veto”, writes Gordon Deegan. Aidan Harte was commenting after Clare County Council launched the online survey to get the views mainly of the people of Ennistymon as to whether the Púca should be installed in the north Clare town. In launching the survey that comprises five questions about the Púca and its location, the Council state that its results “will guide Clare County Council and Fáilte Ireland in a final decision in relation to the proposed artwork”. In May of this year, the project was paused after a local outcry including parish priest, Fr Willie Cummins denouncing the bronze two metre high Púca from the altar at Sunday mass. The Council survey includes an option for participants to say how much they like or dislike the Púca by sliding a smiley face across a page. If …

A flight which took off from Shannon on Sunday morning bound for Lanzarote, had to turn back due to a medical emergency on board. The Ryanair flight left Shannon at 8.20am, but had to return and landed at Shannon again at 9.46am. Members of the Shannon Airport fire rescue service and the National Ambulance Service were on hand to meet the plane which landed safely at 9.46am. A passenger was transferred to University Hospital Limerick for treatment. The flight resumed its journey to Lanzarote at 10.55am.

THREE Clare cheesemakers tasted success at the Irish Cheese Awards 2021, the Irish Farmhouse Cheesemaker’s prestigious gala. St Tola Goat Farm fared best with two gold awards and a silver. In the ‘Fresh/ Soft Cheese: Goat Milk’ category, the Inagh organisation took gold for their St Tola Divine. In the ‘Raw Milk Cheese: All milk types’ category, there was another gold for their St Tola Original Log. In the “Soft White Cheese: All Milk Types” meanwhile, they took silver for their St. Tola Ash. Burren Gold Cheese, Aillwee Cave, Ballyvaughan received the Bronze in the “Hard Cheese: Flavour Added’ category for their Burren Gold Cumin. Cratloe Hills, meanwhile, from Brickhill West, Cratloe, received the Bronze medal in the ‘Hard/Semi Hard Cheese Under 6 Months: Goat, Sheep, Buffalo’ category for its Cratloe Hills Sheep’s cheese. Organised by Cáis, the Association of Irish Farmhouse Cheesemakers, the bi-annual event which took place in Bray, celebrates Ireland’s vibrant and thriving farmhouse cheese sector. Now …

THE first interment of ashes has taken place at the new columbarium at the Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul. Ennis Cathedral is the first Cathedral in the country to offer a columbarium for the interment of ashes. The development of the columbarium was approved by the Pastoral and Finance Committees of Ennis Parish last year while planning permission was granted by Clare County Council. Local builders Michael Clancy and Michael McInerney recently installed the facility which was consecrated as a place of rest by Bishop Fintan last month. On Saturday the ashes of Michael Fitzgerald were the first to be interred in the Columbarium in a ceremony led by Fr Tom Ryan. Mr Fitzgerald, who passed away in August made the decision with his wife Ann and his family that he would be cremated and interred in the Cathedral. Mary Quinn, who was married to Ann Fitzgerald’s brother Jim and who died in London in May 2019, was also …

A LOCAL initiative hoping to bring some Christmas cheer to older people and families is appealing for donations to ensure it can support as many people as possible this festive season. The appeal is being organised by the online Clare Free to a Good Home community, with founder Ennis’ Tina Whelan saying “We just want to give people a lift and are grateful for any donations, the more we raise the better. “Something which might seem very small to one person, is something very big to somebody else.” This is the third year that the project has been undertaken by Clare Free to a Good Home, a social media group which allows people to donate unwanted items to others. Last year the fundraiser supported making the Christmas dreams come true for five Clare families, with even more families receiving donations of turkeys and hams among other items. This year there is a particular focus on helping older people this year, …

A MEMORABLE weekend in Meelick was confirmed on Sunday morning when O’Callaghan’s Mills/Bodyke retained their Minor B crown, writes Eoin Brennan. Only 24 hours after O’Callaghan’s Mills’ flagship side had consolidated their senior status by a whisker at the same venue, it would need just as much of a steady hand for the minor amalgamation to overcome their sticky neighbours Scariff/Ogonnelloe. A first half brace of Jamie Howard goals certainly helped as it provided some clear breathing space for the Mills/Bodyke to lead from start to finish. Howard, Sean Boyce, Thomas Wiley, Tadhg Kilkenny, joint-captains Darragh Moroney and Sean Cooney and a formidable half-back unit of Cathal McNamara, Billy Scanlon and Liam Minogue led the O’Callaghan’s Mills/Bodyke challenge superbly while centre-back Scott Cairns, Sean Hartigan, Aaron Collins and Donnacha McNulty provided the greatest resistance throughout. Scariff/Ogonnelloe’s attacking division of Sean Treacy, Rossa Keelan, Liam Madden and Tadhg Minogue had their moments but realistically they required more of a cutting edge …

A SOCIAL life-line for hundreds of people from Clare, and beyond, may have had its last dance, due to new rules on e-ticketing. Members of the Dancing for Pleasure group have had to sit it out over the long months of lockdown. As restrictions eased for the live events sector, they were keen to dust off their dancing shoes. Organisers were dismayed, however, to find out that the rule on advance ticketing applies, not just to nightclubs, but to their social dancing outings. Regular attendees, who range in age from 60 to 90, are unlikely to take to the e-ticketing system, organisers believe. “We love our dancing,” said Ennis-based committee member Andy Carmody. “Now, we have completely lost our exercise and our social life. A lot of people are not into the internet. I just don’t think that having to buy a ticket by email, at least an hour before the dance, will work for us. It’s not really something …